violet sky | the '80s wave | 2025-06-27

1. Vanity - "Under The Influence (Mid-Day Mix)"
2. France Joli - "Does He Dance"
3. Joy Winter - "He Said, She Said"
4. Will To Power - "Fading Away (Ultimix)"
5. Michelle Goulet - "Stop & Think (Dance Mix)"
6. Sinitta - "Feels Like The First Time"
7. Will To Power - "Show Me The Way"
8. Dazz Band - "Hot Spot"
9. Animotion - "I Engineer"
10. Blue Mercedes - "I Want To Be Your Property (Street Latin Wolf Mix)"
11. Kim Carnes - "You Make My Heart Beat Faster (And That's All That Matters)"
12. Royalty - "Baby Gonna Shake"
13. Stacey Q - "We Connect (European Mix)"

violet sky | the '80s wave | 2025-03-07

1. Wild Blue - "When I Think About You"
2. Holly Knight - "Why Dont'cha Luv Me (Like You Used To)"
3. 'Til Tuesday - "Maybe Monday"
4. The Motels - "Take The L"
5. Richard Marx - "Remember Manhattan"
6. Steve Winwood - "The Finer Things"
7. Duran Duran - "My Own Way"
8. Rick Springfield - "Taxi Dancing"
9. Glenn Frey - "The One You Love"
10. Van Stephenson - "Desperate Hours"
11. Kim Wilde - "The Thrill Of It"
12. Thompson Twins - "Breakaway"
13. Linda Strick - "Yo-Yo"
14. The Fixx - "Stand Or Fall"
15. Sandy Stewart - "Leave It All Behind"
16. Quarterflash - "Valerie"
17. Mandy Smith - "I Just Can't Wait"
18. Jack Wagner - "With Your Eyes"
19. Stabilizers - "Underground"
20. Wang Chung - "Hypnotize Me"
21. Nik Kershaw - "Roses"
22. Alisha - "You've Really Gotten To Me"
23. Stacey Q - "Better Than Heaven"
24. Tiffany - "It's The Lover (Not The Love)"
25. Gino Vanelli - "Hurts To Be In Love"
26. Steve Perry - "Foolish Heart"

violet sky | the '80s wave | 2025-03-07 setlist

1. Paris By Air - "Voices In Your Head" 2. Sherry C. - "Am I The One For You" 3. Nocera - "Tell U So" 4. Sequal - "Tell Him I Called (The Master Jam)" 5. Nocera - "Play The Part" 6. Eileen Flores - "Touch Me With Your Heart" 7. Fascination - "Remember" 8. Eria Fachin - "Savin' Myself (Hot Line Remix)" 9. Irene Cara - "Breakdance" 10. Patti Austin - "It's Gonna Be Special" 11. Deborah Allen - "What's Right Tonight" 12. Evelyn "Champagne" King - "Show Me (Don't Tell Me)" 13. Spagna - "Dance Dance Dance" 14. The Monkees - "Don't Bring Me Down" 15. Atilla The Hen - "Kiss & Tell" 16. Animotion - "Room To Move" 17. Teena Marie - "Help Youngblood Get To The Freaky Party" 18. Taylor Dayne - "Heart Of Stone" 19. Shirley Jones - "Caught Me With My Guard Down"

violet sky | the '80s wave | 2025-02-20 setlist

1. Roxanne - "Boys In Black Cars" 2. Belinda Carlise - "Should I Let You In?" 3. E.G. Daily - "Little Toy" 4. Regina - "Head On" 5. Sugar Babes - "I'll Educate You (On My Love)" 6. Nancy Martinez - "Hurt Me Twice (Shame On You)" 7. Joyce Sims - "Come Into My Life" 8. Patti Austin - "Rhythm Of The Street" 9. Janet Jackson - "Pretty Boy" 10. Natalie Cole - "Jump Start" 11. The Three Degrees - "Lock It Up" 12. Ta Mara & The Seen - "Summertime Love" 13. Irene Cara - "Keep On" 14. Tone Loc - "Wild Thing" 15. The Belle Stars - "World Domination" 16. Robey - "Killer Instinct" 17. Dino - "Romeo" 18. Nu Shooz - "Secret Message" 19. The Jets - "Cross My Broken Heart" 20. Jack Wagner - "Let's Start All Over" 21. A Flock Of Seagulls - "The More You Live The More You Love" 22. Wild Blue - "Taboo" 23. Tiffany - "Kid On A Corner" 24. Howard Jones - "Like To Get To Know You Well" 25. Helen St. John - "Love Theme From Flashdance"

violet sky | the '80s wave | 2025-01-10 setlist

1. Timbuk 3 - "The Future's So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades"
2. Sheena Easton - "Days Like This"
3. Quarterflash - "Take Another Picture"
4. Fiona - "Hopelessly Love You"
5. Shy Talk - "She Was Always On Time (Not Anymore)"
6. Living In A Box - "Blow The House Down"
7. The System - "The Pleasure Seekers"
8. Jack Wagner - "Weatherman Says"
9. Jack Wagner - "Make Me Believe It"
10. Pseudo Echo - "Try"
11. Device - "I've Got No Room For Your Love
12. Spandau Ballet - "Nature Of The Beast"
13. Stevie Nicks - "No Spoken Word"
14. Sequal - "She Don't Want You"
15. Eria Fachin - "Your Love Just Came Too Late (Blaster Mix)"
16. Joy Winter - "In Time You'll See"
17. Arlene - "We Can Work It Out"
18. Shannon - "Sweet Somebody"
19. Tia - "Boy Toy"
20. Laissez Faire - "To Be In Your Arms"
21. Dino - "Romeo"
22. Nancy Martinez - "(Fire) You've Got Me On Fire"
23. Brenda K. Starr - "Pickin Up Pieces"
24. Nick Kamen - "Each Time You Break My Heart"

top 50 of 2022 | 10-1

10. Computerbandit - "Lose Control"

Computerbandit is probably my favorite currently-active synthwave band. I just love their icy production and the way that his vocalists match his energy.

9. New Constellations - "Hot Blooded"

New Constellations taps into the softer, synthpoppier side of synthwave, and they're very, very good at it. The singer's voice is like clouds!

8. MUNA - "Anything But Me"

MUNA released one of the best songs of the previous decade, so it was great to hear them release something awesome as the lead single off their follow-up this year.

7. Baby Queen - "Want Me"

This song actually came out two years ago, but broke through in 2022 thanks to its inclusion in my favorite TV series of the year: Netflix's Heartstopper.

6. Winnetka Bowling League & The Knocks - "I Like To Hide In The Bathroom At Parties"

Jona Lewie may have preferred the kitchen, but Winnetka Bowling League are opting for an even more reclusive hiding spot. Fantastically relatable lyrics in a toe-tapping little pop song.

5. The Impliers - "Stigma"

I don't know if it's entirely appropriate to call this Goth Rock, but I'm choosing to do so because it feels correct. This is just such a cool song, and it'll be on my Halloween playlists from now on!

4. Rina Sawayama - "This Hell"

Rina's been around for a couple of years, but this year was undoubtedly her breakthrough. Her sophomore album is a front-to-back delight. Every queer person on Earth will relate to these lyrics.

3. Bret McKenzie - "If You Wanna Go"

I had heard of but have never watched Flight of the Conchords, so I had no context on this fella's career when I first heard this, but I was immediately in love. Go figure, the album it's from is called Songs Without Jokes. It's just a perfect little pop song!

2. Myylo - "Being Born Kinda Sucks"

When this came out back in February, I preemptively declared it my song of the year, and I was almost correct! It's certainly another one that queer people and millennials will find especially relatable, but from a production perspective it's one of those pop rock songs à la the late '90s that you just wanna yell along to.

1. Ava Max - "Maybe You're The Problem"

I am begging -- BEGGING -- my fellow queers to start respecting this woman. She's put out nothing but floorfillers and bangers and you guys act like she doesn't exist! The album is coming in a month or two, and I better see it sail up the charts like it deserves to!

top 50 of 2022 | 20-11

20. Bananarama - "Favourite"

Hell yeah, a brand new Bananarama banger in 2022!! That bassline is absolutely filthy.

19. Khalid - "Satellite"

Most people probably know Khalid from his collab with Logic a few years ago. I had no idea he had such a nice voice and a knack for spry soft pop!

18. John Cote - "It Comes Today"

This most be the most true-to-form new wave synthpop song made since its glory era in the early 1980s. An absolute banger!

17. Whitmer Thomas - "Rigamarole"

A great little pop song about burnout and the feelings of mania, FOMO, exhaustion, and hopelessness that accompany it. This guy is apparently a comedian, but you'd certainly never know that listening to this. I love it!

16. Night Rider ft. Affiance - "Running Up That Hill"

It's very rare for me to include a cover on my year-end lists, and funny enough this is the second time a cover of this song has made it (after Meg Myers' wonderful version a couple years ago). I never realized how badly this was begging to be made into a synthwave song, and man, these guys just nailed it, even incorporating some mid-2000s hard rock stuff that should not work, but absolutely does.

15. Now Ex - "Impossible To Love"

As soon as that opening synth line hit I knew I was going to love this. The vocals are perfection for this style of music!

14. Empress Of - "Dance For You"

Definitely my favorite dance track of the year! This got a lot of reps on my runs. Solid production, excellent clean vocals.

13. Purple Disco Machine and Sophie & The Giants - "In The Dark"

Magnificent vocals over production so slick you could slide across it! Let's face it, put a clap sample in your dancepop song and I'll probably love it.

12. The Aces - "Girls Make Me Wanna Die"

I think this is the closest thing to a pure rock song on this year's list. It's still poppy as hell, and I am here for every bit of it.

11. Tove Lo - "2 Die 4"

It's honestly nothing short of amazing that Gershon Kingsley's "Popcorn" is still being sampled in pop music in 2022, but that shows you what an absolute musical genius he was. This is Tove Lo's first time making my list, but since we now all know how to pronounce her name, it felt like it was time!

top 50 of 2022 | 30-21

30. Miles Arnell - "You Had Me At Goodbye"

Okay, yeah, it's obvious he came up with this title and then wrote a song around it, but it's a good song. I love the vocal melody!

29. Mezhdunami - "Drive"

Killer synthwave with a really cool sax line that sounds like a riff on modern club music vocals.

28. The 1-800 - "This Might Be It"

How great is this band name?! It would have been such a shame if they wasted a good band name and made crappy music. Thankfully, they make very cute music, including this wonderful little new wave pop rock track!

27. Louis La Roche - "Some Way"

I discovered Louis a few years ago when he collabed with my beloved Mylo on what may be the best club song of the previous decade. This is apparently the first single from his fifth album! How prolific!

26. Low Island - "Kid Gloves"

The combination of the lead synth voice and the singer's vocal melody on this is just synthpop perfection.

25. Rosalía - "Bizcochito"

This is one of those songs that starts and you know immediately that you're about to hear something amazing. Which is fitting, because it's basically a song about how she's the shit. And I don't disagree. Check out the metric fuckton of sass with which she performs this live!

24. Sandor Gavin ft. Eileen Jaime - "City That Never Sleeps"

Sandor Gavin is a name I hadn't heard in many many years; I first (and last) heard of him in the mid 2000s when he released a cover of the Bananarama song "Cruel Summer" (which has apparently vanished from the internet). The real star of this track, though, is the absolutely gorgeous vocal performance by Eileen Jaime, who perfectly sells this synthwave.

23. Fuse - "Propeller"

A video that leans fully into synthwave aesthetics, but isn't a synthwave song -- rather it recalls some of Daft Punk's best nu-disco work.

22. Ellur - "Close To You"

A track that builds so gently and subtly that it pretty much sneaks up on you. Really great stuff!

21. Ekkstacy - "I Walk This Earth All By Myself"

Absolutely gorgeous new wave track that leans heavily into the synthpop side of the genre, and takes a turn toward the end that really sticks with you.

top 50 of 2022 | 40-31

40. Paper Twins - "Neon City Funk"

Funny enough, I came across this one when a YouTuber I follow used it as bed music in one of his videos. I loved it so much I Shazamed a part that he wasn't talking over. Absolutely killer chord progression and groove!

39. OITU - "Leave A Light On"

Ha, I didn't even notice until just now that these two instrumental tracks ended up next to each other on this year's list. That wasn't intentional!

For a musical act that named itself after a Coldplay song, they certainly don't make shitty married millennial pop like one would expect. This is just a fluffy, glowing little synth bop.

38. Magdalena Bay - "Dawning Of The Season"

Magdalena Bay seems to have had quite the year. They're one of those bands that I'd never heard of, and then suddenly all my friends seemed to be fans one day. And for good reason! They're making some damn fine pop music.

I must also mention their incredible and very Web 1.0 website.

37. Kind Regime - "The Deep End (Reimagined)"

Ah, our first synthwave track of this year's list. No secret that I love this stuff, even when the vocalist sounds like he's sounds like he's riffing on Family Guy's bit about '90s singers.

This is a retooling of the artist's own track, and I definitely prefer this new version!

36. Meresha - "Enter The Dreamland"

Reminds me of some of the cool dance music that was coming out of Europe in the mid 2000s, but with far more interesting production. Love these vocals!

35. McCone ft. Benedikte - "All The Answers"

Straddling the line between synthwave and indie pop ballad, this beautiful little song combines minimal production with a gorgeous vocal performance.

34. LOOME & Oktae - "Talking To Strangers"

I turned on the song "Drinking In L.A." for a Gen Z friend a few months ago and he described it as "vibes." I think that's a pretty apt descriptor for this one, too.

33. Little Image - "Lungs Burn"

Really odd little song with a weird video to match but I really like it. Lead singer is a mega cutie!

32. Mehro - "Pretty Kids"

Making a song about youth party culture (and perhaps one's feelings of exclusion from said culture) is certainly nothing groundbreaking, but this song is just so cute. The lyrics and song structure are both interesting enough to elevate this to something special.

31. Band Of Silver - "Machine"

I love songs about technology. I love that idea that people get excited enough about gadgets to write songs about them. This is not to the level of say, Jane Child's "DS-21," but it's still dorky as hell and I love it.

top 50 of 2022 | 50-41

50. Night Cap - "Eileen"

I love that people are making genuine new wave rock songs again. This absolutely has modern indie sensibilities, but is undeniably a new wave song in structure and melody.

49. Kygo ft. DNCE - "Dancing Feet"

Kygo keeps making my lists, and he'll continue doing so as long as he keeps making quality beats like this. It's borderline corny-ass nu disco à la Timberlake/Mars, but manages to stay on the correct side of that line thanks to his careful production and the barely-not-too-dramatic vocal performance of the DNCE fellas.

48. They Kiss - "Feeling With You"

Don't let the horrific cover art fool you, this is a very cute new wave synthpop track from what seems to be a still new-ish musical due. According to their bio on their website, "The name for their band THEY KISS came from their friend who said, 'Well you two are in a relationship, so you should call yourself THEY KISS cause you guys kiss.'" Can't argue with that, I suppose.

47. Dolorous - "Deep Neural Patterning"

According to their Instagram, Dolorous appears to be more of an artistic collective than exclusively a musical act. I really love this cute little track because it expertly employs cute little monophonic synth melodies behind a pleasantly soft indie pop song.

46. The Dropout - "Scream And Shout"

I heard the first two lines of this song in an Instagram story and was immediately sold. Admittedly, I'm also a sucker for shouted lines that aren't corny. The vocal delivery is a bit of an odd match for the production, but it somehow comes together into a funky lil ass shaker.

45. Mightmare - "Easy"

Was definitely not expecting this to have an anime music video. Wow.

Anyway, yeah, not much to say here: This is just a cute little modern indie pop song.

44. Dreamers - "Body Language"

Another great indie pop jam with obvious new wave influences and a very cool music video.

43. Foxes - "Sister Ray"

Absolutely beautiful vocals on this dancepop banger that recalls some stuff I really loved in the late 2000s. It's also undeniably British.

42. Shania Twain - "Waking Up Dreaming"

I honestly can't believe it's taken this long for Shania to release an unabashedly pure pop song, and judging from its lyrical content and music video, it's something she's probably wanted to do for a long time. And it was worth the wait! This is the leadoff single from a new album that's due out in February.

41. Tiny Ghosts - "Grasp Of Me"

I was fooled by the opening bars of this the first time I heard it. I'm glad I stuck with it, though, beause it goes from what sounds like a run-of-the-mill pop rock track into a beautiful vocal performance with heavy reverb on the production and subtle but tight electronic drum samples.

top 30 of 2021

For a few personal reasons, I haven't been motivated to post my annual top songs of the year list until now. And although I have no idea how much I'll feel like writing about these, I at least wanted to archive my list because there are some really great songs here.

30. Himera - "Good Night, I Hope The Future Brings You Only The Best!"

Super cute and interesting instrumental track! Absolutely love the way this starts almost like a soft lullaby and crescendos into what feels like a bunch of warm soft blankets and pillows tucking in to surround you.

29. Troye Sivan - "could cry just thinkin about you"

The Prince of Gay Pop does it again, this time with a muted ballad that allows him to show off his beautiful voice and lyrics.

28. New Constellations - "Hot Blooded"

Gorgeous electropop jam with modern vocals, a juxtaposition that I really love when it's pulled off well.

27. Vincint ft. Tegan & Sara - "Getaway"

Really nice bouncy little dancepop tune.

26. Plasmic - "Female Fascination"

Bit of a strange little song, this one, but there's something that kept pulling me back to it. The vocals have a kind of bitchy '90s quality, and they work really well with the brilliantly catchy vocal melody of the chorus.

25. Del Water Gap - "Ode To A Conversation Stuck In Your Throat"

I feel like every year a song like this makes my list. It sounds straight out of 2005, something I'd have played on college radio. I guess part of me thinks it's cool that there are still bands making music that sounds like this, even if I only actually enjoy one out of every 10,000 or so songs. Fuckboy lyrics, but it's a cute song.

24. Years & Years - "Starstruck"

I want to love Years & Years more than I do (mostly because Olly is such a cutie!) but they tend to lean a little too heavily into that corny post-disco sound that just doesn't do a lot for me. I don't blame him, though, he's British.

23. Rasmus Seeback - "Så Længe Vi Danser"

A sad song that sounds super happy! But I don't speak Danish, so fuck it, let's dance.

22. Nius X - "Gamers"

Not much to say here, just some cute pop rock with nerdy new wave vocals!

21. Little Mix ft. Saweetie - "Confetti"

Saweetie had quite the year, didn't she? Years from now when someone is like "remember when celebrities had their own McDonald's meals?" hers is the name I'll think of first, and I'm not sure I can say why. Supremely bizarre video ft. Drag Race UK girls and also the Little Mix gals as drag kings -- not sure why this didn't hit in the US!

20. Agnes - "24 Hours"

I still can't figure out whose voice Agnes reminds me of, but it's quite powerful and I can't resist a solid dancepop diva track.

19. Superchunk - "Endless Summer"

Exactly what I wanted out of a Superchunk song release in 2021 that I wasn't even expecting!

18. Planet 1999 - "Party"

A friend sent me this and said "I know you love an open snare," and what can I say? He's correct.

17. Computerbandit - "You Are Digital"

A driving track that straddles the venn diagram of synthpop, new wave, and dancepop. Love the vocal effects!

16. Jessie Ware - "Please"

Jessie Ware continues to turn out bangers, and also to be completely absent from the Billboard Hot 100. I do not understand.

15. Rebecca Black - "Girlfriend"

This one crept up on me. I thought it was fine when I first heard it, but I found myself humming it again and again and returning to listen again. It's just a great little pop song!

14. Primo The Alien - "Do It Again"

I first learned of Primo from her vocal feature on Sunglasses Kid's "Fixing Me With Love," so I was very pleased to hear a solo track that I also loved! Her voice is so silky.

13. Kero Kero Bonito - "The Princess And The Clock"

I fuckin love KKB and you can expect to see them on this list any time they release music in the target year.

12. Cannons - "Bad Dream"

The production really sold this track to me. It's a beautiful modern synthpop track with perfect sample choices.

11. Kim Petras - "Coconuts"

Kim certainly knows what she's about these days, and I respect the hustle of releasing a summer song in December.

10. Lorde - "Solar Power"

Speaking of summer songs! The kids talk an awful lot these days about "vibes," so yeah, uh this song is all vibes.

9. The Birthday Massacre - "Dreams Of You"

TBM's 2005 album Violet might be my favorite album of that decade. It was really nice to see them return to that sound with this single!

8. The Parity Complex - "Move On Song"

What a jam!!!

7. Florrie - "Street Lights"

Not much to say here, just a pretty perfect little pop song! I do love a good prechorus.

6. Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen - "Like I Used To"

We don't get enough good pop duets these days, but maybe that just makes the really good ones that we do get even more special. I hadn't listened to either of these artists prior to this release, but they certainly seem made to work together. This is a great song!

5. The Linda Lindas - "Racist, Sexist Boy"

Early last summer, a video of a band comprising four teen girls singing in their local public library about a racist, sexist boy at their school took the Internet by storm, and I was absolutely one of the many who were captivated. These girls are fantastic and I look forward to seeing where their career takes them.

4. Ralph - "Tommy"

The dancepop jam of the year??

3. BTS - "Butter"

The most impressive thing about this is that it's only their second English-language single.

2. Thrillchaser - "Fantasy"

Synthwave remains one of my top genres these days, and this was my favorite track in that genre from last year. Absolutely fantastic!

1. Holly Humberstone - "The Walls Are Way Too Thin"

I usually know my song of the year the first time I hear it, and this was no exception. I love it from top to bottom, front to back! Everything pop music should be!

top 25 of 2020 | 15-1

Honorable Mentions

I wanted to briefly mention two songs that were standouts for me last year, but that I didn't feel qualified for this list. One was not released this year, and the other was more of a remix than a cover of an old song.

Evan Olson - "So Much Better"

I'm burying the lede a bit here, but this song was the topic of the best podcast episode I listened to last year, Reply All's "The Case Of The Missing Hit": The story of a guy who remembered a radio song from his late-'90s childhood that nobody else remembered existing. Spoiler: It was this.

Kygo ft. Donna Summer - "Hot Stuff"

I'm not even sure it's fair to call this a remix; it's really more of a re-sheen, a polish of the disco hit we all know and love. But it is great, and they even shot a cute little video for it!

15. Dua Lipa - "Cool"

Dua Lipa (whose real name, I was surprised to learn, is Dua Lipa), has been around for a few years now, but 2020 was truly her breakthrough. Her album was reviewed far and wide as one of the year's best, and it makes sense; it's a collection of incredibly competent pop songs that sound contemporary and interpolate some '80s ideas that are en vogue.

This track is a particularly good example of that. Her vocal delivery is undoubtedly of this moment, and assuming the synth motif isn't directly pulled from some underground '80s track I've never heard, it is an absolutely brilliant tribute to that era. I love the way it doesn't ascend to the note you think it's going to, dropping down instead to a complimentary lower tone in the scale. Delicious ear bubbles!

14. Bebe Zahara Benet - "Banjo"

The first lady of Cameroooooooooooooon herself put out this absolute toe tapper early in the year, and it's haunted me as a near-daily earworm ever since. It's so easy to run with the cadence and make up your own lyrics about what the dude wants to do to you like a banjo.

13. Blair St. Clair - "All Your Exes"

A lot of drag queens are also gay dudes, and gay dudes love hot electropop, so it's not a surprise that a lot of drag queens who dabble in music end up making hot electropop songs. I absolutely love the production on this and just think it's a really cute and extremely gay little song.

12. TWRP - "Only The Best"

I haven't heard a song with this specific kind of groove since Daft Punk released their magnum opus Random Access Memories in 2013. It's funky as hell, has great synth motifs, and a robot singer that doesn't feel the slightest bit cheesy for some reason. Damn it I miss roller skating, and I'll be requesting this one the first time I'm back on the rink.

I also love the ever-so-slight alteration at the end of the bridge to avoid a direct Michael Jackson ripoff. Hilarious.

11. Brianna Hildebrand - "We Belong"

Covers are an extremely rare inclusion on my year-end top songs lists, but Hildebrand delivers this song with so much love, emotion, and expressiveness, I'd have been a damn liar to leave it off. She was the star of the Netflix series Trinkets, a realistic story of trauma and teen troubles shot in my beloved Portland. This song plays over the credits of the series finale, and I had no idea it was her singing when I first saw it, so learning that made it all the more special.

Not germane to this entry, but worth noting: You should absolutely listen to Pat and her husband Neil tell the story about writing its music.

10. RuPaul - "Ruby Is Red Hot"

Kudos to the writers of this genuinely charming series for making RuPaul seem human for ten episodes. I'm not being the slightest bit cynical or sarcastic when I say how much I truly loved every minute of this show. It had the energy, charm, and innocence of an '80s road movie, while still tackling some heavy stuff. It's a damn shame it died after a single season, but I'm sure glad we got it.

This was the series theme, but also served as the titular queen's ringtone, which was just too perfect. It's a delightul Patti-Labelle-a-la-Beverly-Hills-Cop romp, matching the series' overall feel.

9. Freezepop - "Fantasizer"

Freezepop will always be one of my favorite bands, and I'll always be exited about whatever they're up to. They're genuinely kind people who just really, really, really love synthpop and are very, very, very good at making it. Liz's signature over their icy synths will always put me in my happy place.

We fans have been waiting YEARS for this album, so finally getting to hear it and how damn good they still are was just awesome.

8. Ollie Wride & Sunglasses Kid - "Stranger Love"

Everyone who's known me for more than 5 minutes knows how much I love synthwave music. Ollie Wride simply has the ultimate synthwave voice. I could listen to this dude sing over a wall of synths and reverbed/gated snares all day every day. The way he crushes these brilliantly-flowed vocal melodies is just...man it's heaven.

7. Troye Sivan - "Easy"

Troye is another of those artists I'll always follow because they have such a deep affinity and respect for pop music, and it comes through in the tightly-constructed motifs and melodies of his songs. I'm never quite sure what the hell is going on in his music videos, especially in the video for the version of this song that featured Kasey Musgraves, but he's just so adorable and talented that I don't care.

6. Kiesza - "Crave"

Kiesza absolutely exploded onto the gay/dance scene in 2014 with the most perfect house song produced since the '90s, "Hideaway," but other than the immediate follow-up "Giant In My Heart," I wasn't really into anything she's put out since...

...until now. Man, Kiesza is BACK! And in a big way, too. This is a massive pop song that would have been a #1 radio hit for the entire summer of 1990.

5. Aiden Zhane - "BOO!"

When Aiden released her debut single "Gein," I was definitely into it, and it would have been on this list, but lower.

But then this bitch had to pull out a 707 basketball kickdrum and release the best goddamn Halloween jam since the Oingo Boingo era, and here we are. I mean goddamn, this is great.

4. Lady Gaga - "Stupid Love"

In a year of some truly stunning pop singles, it was only fitting that the reigning queen of dancepop gave us one of the best singles of her career. She knew her fans were hungry for a track like this after years of loyalty through an experimental era, and boy did she give us what we'd been waiting for.

3. Air Chrysalis - "Beyond My God"

It makes me so, so happy to put a Louisville band this high on a year-end list for the first time, ever. And no nepotism here at all -- I genuinely love this song. It's part new wave, part shoegaze, and just gives me a fuzzy glow from the inside out, sort of like when you can tell there's an old CRT television powered on somewhere in the room you're sitting in.

2. The Weeknd - "Blinding Lights"

Genuinely not much to say here; this is easily the best pop song written in years and will go down as an all-time classic.

1. Sunglasses Kid & PRIMO THE ALIEN - "Fixing Me With Love"

Why is this my top song of the year? It's honestly hard to describe. I'm pretty sure I listened to it more than any other song in 2020, even though it only came out in September. The structure of the vocal melody is perfect. Her delivery is transcendent. The chosen samples are exactly right. It's just all correct!

top 25 of 2020 | 25-16

Yep, alright, yes, I'm back to just 25 songs this past year. I'm not sure if the music selection wasn't up to my tastes, or Mama Rona snuffed out a lot of creative potential, but probably both.

Nevertheless, some great tunes came out last year, and here are 25 of them.

25. Gorillaz ft. Peter Hook & Georgia - "Aries"

I heard this track before knowing who the featured artist was, and immediately thought "wow, that is some New-Order-ass bass." Welp.

With very few execptions, Gorillaz have only ever been about as interesting to me as Daft Punk, which is not to detract from their talents, just that I don't always find their grooves super compelling. This one, however, is a delightful little trip down a peaceful, new-wavey lazy river. It also features the same Georgia who did the fabulous "About Work The Dancefloor," which slaps!

24. Bright Light Bright Light ft. Initial Talk, Niki Haris & Donna De Lory - "This Was My House"

It's become increasingly important to me in my 30s to be more in touch not just with my queer identity, but also the history of queer people and the people who had to throw bricks so that I can safely exist. This song is both a celebration of queerness and a reminder to respect those who fought for us. It's also an acknowlegement that a lot of us have not had access to our usual public safe spaces in the last year.

It's also a really nice house tune, produced by the absolutely magnificent Initial Talk, whose specialty is taking modern songs and reimagining them as '80s pop tunes, some of them even turning out much better than the originals!

And how awesome is it to see NIKI HARIS on a track in 2020?! You've heard her voice on countless club tunes from the late '80s and early '90s, perhaps most notably on Natural Selection's "Do Anything."

23. LeBrock - "Interstellar"

It's absolutely no secret that I love synthwave music. I especially love the occasional synthwave track with a guitar track (it happens less than you'd think!), and this guy's awesome power vocals just bring it home for me!

22. Jessie Ware - "Save A Kiss"

Jessie Ware has been giving us solid bops for almost a decade now, yet I still feel like almost nobody knows about her, which is dreadful. This is a beautiful dancepop track that draws influence from both house and disco music, delivered with an attitude that lets you know she's British. At her fourth album, she's still as vibrant as ever, and I will continue to stan.

21. Doja Cat - "Say So"

I'm just now noticing as I write about each of these songs that there is kind of a recurring theme of late 1970s disco influences in a bunch of songs last year. Interesting.

Anyway, this song is pretty great. I don't know much about Doja Cat, but if tweets I've seen are any indication, it sounds like that's for the best. This is just a very fun and insanely danceable tune.

20. Oceans Ahead ft. Kali Rea - "Traffic Lights"

I was drawn to this song by how weird it is. It feels like it has no bottom end, no backbone -- but it also doesn't really need one. Despite its decently powerful vocals at times, it's a real wafer. I would love to hear a produced-up version of this with loud sawtooth synths and a buzzy bass track, but I really do love how this one just sits like meringue.

19. Coheed & Cambria ft. Rick Springfield - "Jessie's Girl 2"

Covers are extremely rare on my year-end top songs lists, but this year I had to make more than one exception, and this is the first. And I'm using the term "cover" very loosely here -- it's a reinterpretation, nay, a sequel! to the track we all know and love about being jealous of your friend's squeeze. I would never have pegged this for a Coheed passion project, but it does (sort of) make sense considering the undeniable influence of '80s hair metal on their music. I'm glad Rick is along for the party, too, even if he deserved a bigger part!

If classic movies can get new sequels and reboots, why not classic songs too, right?

18. Greyson Chance - "Dancing Next To Me"

It's been really cool following Greyson's career for these last few years while he really comes into his own as an artist. His music conjures up a lot of feelings and thoughts that I also had in my early 20s, so it's kinda nice to look back on them and smile while I listen to this stuff. This is just a cute song about seeing a hot dude on a dancefloor, but there's some genuinely cute lyrical play.

17. Miley Cyrus - "Midnight Sky"

I have never been able to fully hop aboard the Miley train, but this is a really cute song. She is certainly a person who seems forever in search of an identity, but artists like that can be fun for a while when they stop on an identity with a neat aesthetic that makes good music (see also: Tegan & Sara, Goldfrapp). I am absolutely not buying whatever "I'm a rebel, I was born to run" nonsense she's selling, but this is a very well-produced song and it makes me dance.

16. OFK - "Follow/Unfollow"

This may be the most mysterious entry I've ever included on one of my year-end lists. This song premiered in the middle of The Game Awards and simultaneously popped up on Spotify and YouTube. It appears to be the group's only release. I cannot tell if the lyrics are mocking this "cancel culture" that I am told exists or if they are making a tongue-in-cheek argument for its existence. I love the synths and drum samples, though, so I just wanna dance with you.

top 40 of 2019 | 10-1

10. Lake Malawi - "Friend Of A Friend"

This was the Czech Republic's entry into this year's Eurovision Song Contest and my personal favorite of the bunch. It's just a super fun pop song.

9. Kevin McHale - "Help Me Now"

I'm so glad that queer pop is continuing to creep ever closer to the mainstream, and it's thanks to artists like this just being themselves and churning out bangers. Midtempo dancepop, man. I'm a fan.

8. Aly & AJ - "Not Ready To Wake Up"

This straight up sounds like it was written in 1989 and then rediscovered in 2019 and produced on modern equipment. Absolutely killer dancepop!

7. Ximena Sariñana ft. Girl Ultra - "No Se"

Mexican pop singer Ximena Sariñana has been around for about a decade now, but I discovered her just this year after hearing this track on my local public radio station. It has the feel of a warm, breezy day that complements the lyrics about a burgeoning love interest.

6. Ava Max - "Sweet But Psycho"

A great parody/excoriation of the sexist "psycho ex girlfriend" trope that leans pretty heavily into it in the form of a modern club pop romp.

5. Riki - "Napoleon"

This is the very first song ever released by new group Riki. Their debut LP comes out on Valentine's Day of next year, and if this single is any indication of how great it's going to be, I'll be first in line to pick it up. Her vocal presentation and the chorusing of her voice over those punchy drum samples is just [chef's kiss].

4. Dorian Electra - "Career Boy"

In which an enbie twink hilariously shits on people who pride themselves in putting their work before their health. This is just some amazing subversive synthpop with excellent production and vocal effects.

3. Alec Benjamin - "Let Me Down Slowly"

What an incredibly well-written pop song! Alec is a singer/songwriter from Phoenix who had a well-deserved breakthrough at the beginning of the year with this track. He also cut a duet version with Alessia Cara.

2. Ollie Wride - "The Driver"

Ollie is now a full-time member of FM-81, with whom he's been recording for several years, but he's still pumping out excellent solo work. This track has the feel of the opening credits of an LA crime drama, and his voice is absolutely flawless.

1. Envelope Generator - "Emasculine"

A decade ago, I came across this video of three young Brits playing a fabulous synth medley. Earlier this year, I was going through some of my earliest YouTube bookmarks, rediscovered this video, and clicked the channel to see if they'd been up to anything in the decade since. Lo and behold, Envelope Generator (which, best I can tell, is really just singer/songwriter/synthesist J. Cronin) had indeed released a few very excellent EPs, including this year's Songs I Hate. This structure of this track is just so delicious - J really knows their way around that mega synthpop chord progression and how to write a vocal melody that complements it.

top 40 of 2019 | 20-11

20. Kero Kero Bonito - "When The Fires Come"

I don't think I've ever heard another song that sounds quite like this. It's vaporwavey, but the core is undoubtedly an indie pop song, and the whole thing is kinda presented in a Sega Saturn jewel case. The first time I heard this, it was all I wanted to listen to for the rest of the day.

19. Louis La Roche & Mylo - "Lovers"

Over the summer, I wondered one day whatever happened to Mylo and why he hadn't released any new music in years, only to Google him and discover that he had, in fact, just released his first single in years. His signature Mylo dancepop sensibility permeates through every note of this tropical bop.

18. Gunship - "The Video Game Champion"

I don't use the word "epic" often because the internet has made it corny as hell to do so, but I'm not sure that there's a better descriptor for this track. It gets me feeling pumped as hell and ready to beat a level that's been giving me grief.

17. Electric Youth - "ARAWA"

Electric Youth's first album from back in 2014 might be my favorite of the entire decade. It's a gorgeous day packaged into sunny synthpop that oozes into your ears like agave.

I was thrilled to see them release some new music this year following the unfortunate scrapping of the movie whose score/soundtrack was their sophomore LP. It's an odd choice for the title to be an initialism when the lyrics aren't enunciated very well, making what I'd guess is a good chunk of your listeners think you're talking about how "racist" you are, not "restless," but hey, the production is still tight as hell.

16. Shawn Wasabi ft. Raychel Jay - "Snack"

I always get pumped when Shawn Wasabi drops a new track, because it's not a terribly frequent occurrence. A friend of mine once described Shawn's music as "bleep pop," which is a great descriptor; he relies on layers of cutesiness, bounciness, oddball samples, synth stabs, and bass kicks. At first listen, I was kinda ho-hum about this, because I felt like it's the same schtick I'm used to by now: Pop culture references and childishness, like, we get it, right?

But idk man, Raychel Jay is just so stinkin cool, and Shawn is just so lovable and he puts his entire heart into his music, and it's pretty much impossible not to love both it and him. (I came around after a couple listens.)

15. Greyson Chance - "Yours"

Greyson Chance's path to fame has certainly been unique: He appeared on Ellen about a decade ago after a video circulated of him performing the Lady Gaga song "Paparazzi" on piano in his school talent show. Ellen subsequently founded a record label and signed him as her first artist. The album flopped, and Greyson faded back into obscurity. He never gave up songwriting, though, and this year he made a more genuine debut by coming out as gay and releasing an album of songs he'd actually written. It's full of well-written, personal tracks; this just happened to be my favorite.

14. Maggie Rogers - "Retrograde"

I'm such a sucker for midtempo synthpop, I know. Blend it with girlie indie rock and I'm swooning. It's rare that we get to hear this kind of singing voice over a drum machine, because usually people who can sing well in this style are either doing torch songs or ultra-acoustic. This track has a beautiful build to an addictive chorus, which falls away with some perfect backing vocalizations.

13. The Bad Dreamers - "Somewhere In This City"

When a synthwave group really leans into the "nightdrive" aesthetic, magic can happen. The Midnight has always been the group that best pulls this off, and this track rivals their best songs. It's got a bubbling, driving synth base, with a live drum bottom, live guitar motifs, and a live lead sax to stand in for a chorus with a perfect melody. Outstanding all around!

12. MUNA - "Number One Fan"

MUNA continues their trend of releasing one killer track on an album of songs that I forget about before they're finished playing, but you know what? That's okay. Because their message of self-love is the most important thing about them, and if they can crank out one banger per LP to remind all us listeners to be kinder to ourselves and one another, I am a fan.

11. Absinth3 ft. Nick Leach - "Suburbs"

Speaking of great nightdrive tunes, my buddy Absinth3 showed us how to handle that style from the purely electronic side of things with this sparkly track carried by a beautiful, just-restrained-enough vocal performance from Nick Leach. It makes you feel like you're lying under the stars in the country with someone cute.

top 40 of 2019 | 30-21

30. Katy Perry - "Never Really Over"

I'm not sure if Katy Perry is becoming less annoying, or it's just been enough time since her last annoying release that I didn't have fatigue from it and was able to listen to one of her songs without immediately being turned off by the mere fact that she was the performer.

This is a great track, though, and I hope this trend of her being less annoying continues.

29. Normani - "Motivation"

The ladies of Fifth Harmony are a talented bunch, but since their split, the solo attention has focused almost entirely on Camilla Cabello. I was so glad to see Normani spring forth in her own right with a couple of super fun singles this year, because she really deserves every bit of that same success. Her music, much like Fifth Harmony's, recalls a very specific fun sound from the early '00s. That's not an era of which I'm particularly fond, which speaks all the more to her talents.

28. tofubeats - "Plastic Love"

This came up on Spotify Radio one morning, and my immediate thought was "This sounds like a 2019 version of City Pop," which makes sense as it turned out to be a cover of a classic of that genre. If you're unfamiliar, City Pop is a subgenre of adult contemporary and soft rock that was popular in Japan in the early 1980s.

I love love love his vocal delivery on this, and the production is perfect!

27. Futurecop! ft. Parallels - "We Belong"

A beautiful synthwave track about humankind's place in the universe, brought to life by Holly Dodson's gorgeous voice. Parallels have been doing their thing for over a decade now and are still as great as ever, and this new collaborative partnership with Futurecop! seems to be keeping the creative juices flowing.

26. Caroline Polachek - "So Hot You're Hurting My Feelings"

I absolutely love the reserved way with which she sings this song, as it's a hilarious contrast to the hyperbolic title. The video is funny too -- it's sort of like watching a preteen try to put a spell on her class crush because she stayed up late on a Saturday and saw The Craft.

25. Rebecca Black - "Anyway"

I don't think any other pop culture figure of this decade has turned more bitter lemons into deliciously sweet lemonade than Rebecca Black. I'm glad to see that she continues to laugh the last laugh as she makes quality pop music with a big beautiful smile.

24. Meg Myers - "Running Up That Hill"

Kate Bush is one of those artists that's on such a high pillar of reverence that covers of her music are few and far, far between. This is the second-best one I've ever heard, behind only Solange covering "Cloudbusting" one time in concert, which was absolutely brilliant. I feel like Meg's version of this iconic track finally let it breathe as the italo song that it's always begged to be.

And what a cool video!!

23. Stacey Q - "Trippin' Me Out"

I didn't really know what to make of this on my initial listen, but in true Stacey Q fashion, the hook embedded itself in my brain and I caught myself humming it for the rest of the day. It's reminiscent of a song that she did with longtime collaborator Jon St. James' on his Echo Junkies project about a decade ago, and really, this psychedelic sound isn't too much of a surprise from her, because she's always been kind of a hippie at heart. I'm excited to see what else she comes up with in the coming months, and I'm beyond stoked for the return of SSQ next year!

22. Kygo & Whitney Houston - "Higher Love"

I'm a big fan of Kygo and I obviously love Whitney, so when I heard that he'd decided to rework a cover that she'd recorded in 1990 and only released on the Japanese version of I'm Your Baby Tonight, I was 100% on board. This is great!

21. Great Good Fine Ok - "Change"

I haven't heard a song that quite taps this specific sound since the early 1990s. It's something about the way it's layered and the way the lyrics are written. I can't quite place exactly one thing that makes it recall that specific era in pop for me, but it does, and it's wonderful!

top 40 of 2019 | 40-31

40. CNCO - "Pretend"

A sneaky '80s pop sample spun into a latin pop boy band number - I'm into it!

39. Missy Elliott - "Throw It Back"

Missy made a long-awaited and promising comeback a few years ago with the insanely fun "Where They From." I, like everyone else, expected an album and a few more bangers to follow, but that sadly never happened.

Now, four years later, we got a 5-song EP led by this booty bouncer. She shadowdropped it after asking her Twitter followers to remember a time when "we all just danced and had fun," so all of this is a pretty clear nod to the Supa Dupa Fly era, and I'm not mad about it. Uptempo Missy will always be my favorite Missy, but this shit makes me wanna dance too.

38. Slayyyter - "Mine"

'90s house music presented through the lens of LA youth. This is a really well-produced track that really nails the sound it's going for, right down to those iconic Korg M1 organs.

37. La Neve - "Stability"

Sonically and aesthetically, this thing is all over the place, but it's just so goddamn queer and I love it. On the surface, this should be annoying as hell, but I cannot help but dance my ass off every time it comes on while I'm getting ready in the morning. I know this entry won't be for everyone, but hey, it is my year-end top songs list, right??

Definitely also worth watching amazing video of La Neve quitting their job in stylish fashion from a few years ago.

36. SRSQ - "Unkept"

This will be the first of a couple of appearances by Dais Records artists on this year's list. (Big thanks to my friend Ian for alerting me to their existence earlier this year!) They're producing some fantastic new wave, synthpop, and darkwave over there, and I'm very into it.

SRSQ's origin story is not a happy one: It's a pseudonym for singer/songwriter Kennedy Ashlyn, who lost musical partner Cash Askew in the tragic fire at the Ghost Ship warehouse in San Francisco in 2016. Her sadness is very much reflected in this new music, but her angelic voice shines like a beacon above the wall of gloomy synths and drum machines.

35. Code Elektro - "Cosmonaut's Dream"

I hope everyone is fully prepared for my Top 100 Songs of the 2010s list next year to be chock full of synthwave, because it was the genre that defined my decade, and there are no signs of my love for it slowing down whatsoever.

This is just a very cool instrumental track that reminded me of a slightly more polished track from the brilliant Stranger Things score.

34. Jai Wolf - "Still Sleeping"

This song fits really nicely between synthpop and modern pop. The delivery is all 2019, but it has the production sensibilities of a midtempo crush lament from 1986.

33. Mabel - "Don't Call Me Up"

Top 40 has really fallen off for me in the last two years, but there are still occasional bright spots like this. You've heard this song structure hundreds of times throughout the decade, but the production here is airtight and that chorus slaps.

32. Automatic - "Calling It"

It may start off like a Talking Heads b-side, but this goes full-on indie pop once the vocals kick in. I can't even pinpoint exactly what I love about this song so much, but I loved driving around with it on when it was really, really hot this summer.

31. Georgia - "About Work The Dancefloor"

Unf, that bassline. Really excited to hear Georgia's full LP next month, because both songs she's released from hit have been excellent.

top 40 of 2018 | 10-1

10. Fickle Friends - "Glue"

Some damn fine retro-tinged pop coming out of Brighton, England. I had to pick this one up on cassette not just because the packaging was so cute, but is there any better medium on which to listen to music like this?

9. Gigi Rowe - "Got That"

I love that music written specifically for video games is becoming a thing, and even though this isn't really in that exact spirit, it counts! I was absolutely blown away by this when I came across it in Just Dance 2018. It recalls everything that was so perfect about mid-'80s R&B-flavored dancepop like Deniece Williams' soundtrack hit "Let's Hear It For The Boy" and Five Star's criminally underrated "If I Say Yes". And come on -- how cute is she?!

8. Troye Sivan - "Bloom"

I gushed in the last post about how Troye's debut single from this album was his emergence as a true pop star, but this second single and title track took things very quickly to full blossom: It's the right proper butt sex anthem that the world didn't know it needed. I had absolutely nothing like Troye growing up, so I'm very thankful for his existence for today's queer youth. The video is a perfect complement, too -- even driving home its early '90s motif by being shot in 4x3.

7. Christine & the Queens ft. Dâm-Funk - "Girlfriend"

A funny, funky twist on the concept of masculinity. We in the queer community often preach about how men often need to be more in touch with their femininity, but what about the inverse? Bring on the butchies!

6. Anna Burch - "Tea-Soaked Letter"

An absolutely perfect little indie pop-rock romp that made me realize how badly I was missing this specific sound from my college radio days. The melodic structure of this song is so damn well-written, right from the very first note, when she comes in singing the harmony instead of the melody that you expect.

Side note: I actually heard this for the first time while I was peeing in a restaurant bathroom, and I used my free hand to Shazam it -- a fact that I didn't necessarily have to tweet to and share with Ms. Burch, but I did anyway. Don't worry; she thought it was funny.

5. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - "The Punishment of Luxury"

Listen, I'm just as surprised as anyone that frickin OMD is showing up on my year-end top songs list in 2018 CE, but I had the grand fortune of seeing them live back in March, and they simply killed it. The first time I actually heard this song, the title track from their most recent album, was at that show, performed live, and it sounded just as good then as it does on the album. I've caught myself countless times the rest of this year humming this melody!

4. Jack Antonoff & MØ - "Never Fall In Love"

This is from the soundtrack to one of my favorite movies this year, Love, Simon. I wish Jack and MØ would do an entire album of synthpop like this!

3. Pale Waves - "Television Romance"

I'm so glad that there's still a new wave scene (if you know where to find it, anyway)! Manchester's Pale Waves absolutely crushed it with this one - every note, both played and sung, is perfect.

Worth noting: There are two mixes of this song, and I prefer the one used in the video to the one on the album.

2. Betty Who - "Just Thought You Should Know"

Betty Who is one of those artists who I stan more out of image or politics than the actual music. She blew me away with "High Society" from her debut EP in 2013, but I've never come close to loving any of her other songs like I loved that one, until now.

What so spine-tinglingly delicious about this track is the way it progresses from a quiet pop whisper into a pop punch. When it starts, you're nodding your head with her, but by the one-minute mark, it's "DAMN! Ok then Betty!!"

1. Kim Petras - "Heart To Break"

I honestly don't know what else to say about this except that it's literally a perfect dancepop song, and that I hope Kim has a long and fruitful career.

top 40 of 2018 | 20-11

20. Loote - "Your Side Of The Bed"

The lyrics and vocal delivery on this one are, to me, its biggest detriments -- but their shortcomings are ultimately irrelevant because the production is fantastic. It's no secret that I'm a sucker for a proper meshing of electric guitar and synth riffs.

19. NOTD & Bea Miller - "I Wanna Know"

Two Swedish high schoolers who know how to bedroom-produce teamed up with a booming-voiced young lady (and former The X-Factor contestant) and the result a modern pop banger that just kinda works. Hard to believe this one didn't even crack the Hot 100!

18. Lady Gaga - "Hair Body Face"

All of the attention paid to the soundtrack of A Star Is Born has focused on the country-pop ballads. Gaga wrote some amazing material for her pop-star persona, and everyone needs to stop glossing over it and/or sleeping on it this instant!! Frankly, you're all being VERY Jackson Maine about it!!

Gaga is the best at reminding us that we can dance and feel feelings at the same time, and nowhere on this album is that displayed more than on this track, about the insecurity that comes with being in a relationship with someone whose friends don't like you.

17. Netta - "Toy"

This is the first year I've gotten into the Eurovision Song Contest as it was actually happening, and I'm honestly not sure what I've been doing for the past 31 years while I wasn't paying attention to it. This song was the instant favorite of both my only two Eurovision-obsessed friends and me, and lo and behold, sweet lil Netta ended up winning! She even got to come to America and perform this on the Today Show!

A song about the #MeToo movement performed on only a sampler/looper. Who says I'm only into being retro?

16. Marianas Trench - "Rhythm Of Your Heart"

I know exactly three things about Marianas Trench:

1. They are Canadian
2. They look like they are from 2006 and work at GameStop
3. I would probably hate literally all of the rest of their songs

But you know what? That's fine, because this track is amazing.

15. Shawn Wasabi - "SQUEEZ"

What is not to love about Shawn Wasabi? He writes some of the catchiest pop melodies I've ever heard, he has beautiful bright green hair, loves video games, is always smiling, and tweets about his big ass. Like Netta, I love artists who choose pieces of modern technology as their primary instruments (a Midi Fighter 64 in Shawn's case). He's definitely the reigning king of both midi controllers and Bleep Pop(a-pop pop).>

14. Mikolas Josef - "Lie To Me"

The other song from this year's Eurovision that made my list, this one easily wins my award for the year's best lyrics. Some examples:

• "I know you whomp-bomp-a-loo-bop on his wood bam-boom / But you were still seeing me and well he didn't even knew"
• Then it got heavy, mom I'm feeling home already / But steady plenty mothafuckas wanna eat my spaghetti

I mean dude...yes.

13. Glades - "Not About You"

Glades are an indie trio that met in college in Sydney, Australia and just released their debut album (which, incidentally, sports my favorite album art of the year). This is undoubtedly a modern pop track, but there's something deliciously and undeniably 1987 about it, and I just love it.

12. Troye Sivan - "My My My"

Troye is on full display in all his goofy glory in this video, with a strut that rivals that of Jagger or Morrissey and a swagger exudes a confidence that we hadn't seen from him until this moment. His first EP and album were still very much in his reserved, private, bedroom YouTuber persona, so it's great to see him finally peacock out into the queer nerd we've all always wanted him to be.

11. Janelle Monae - "Make Me Feel"

Speaking of becoming a queer icon, hey Ms. Monae! This is one of the best albums of the year, led off with a single that is probably the last-ever Prince song, and hoo boy are there purple fingerprints all over this thing. She's just so damn cool and so sexy, and this track would make somebody shake their shoulders at their own funeral.